A Mirror's Shadow
by PhoenixHellfyre
Summary: Sequel to Elements of Love. It's been 11 years of peace in the Kingdom, and everyone is adjusting to family life. A rebellion is rising, and their intentions are not to come to dinner. Rated M for later chapters, Sen/Shi fic. Contains spoilers from Elements of Love. Sailor Moon AU
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: A Birthday Wish**

Usagi sat in her chambers, enjoying the few brief moments of quiet she would get for the rest of the day. Her beloved daughter, Chibi Usa, was turning 10 today and a huge party was planned. Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako were coming along with their husbands and daughters, so it was going to be a large event. The door opened softly, and brilliant ruby eyes appeared in the opening. "Mama, they're almost here!" Chibi Usa's excited wiggling, opened the door wider, giving Usagi a view of the dress she had picked out. Usagi smiled at Chibi Usa, cherishing the sight of her only child being so wild with enthusiasm.

"Come here, Chibi Usa, I want to give you an early present." Pink curls flew in the air as she bounded into the room, her feet barely touching the carpet with each step. "What is it, Mama? Is it cute?" Usagi gave another indulgent smile and sat Chibi Usa in the chair in front of her vanity mirror. "Close your eyes, it's a surprise!" Chibi Usa gave a small, petulant scowl before closing her eyes with a grin. Usagi set to work, combing out all the tangles in Chibi Usa's hair. As she was styling it, Usagi caught a glimpse of an eye in the mirror. "Keep your eyes closed, or I'll stop now and you'll have to go to your party with half done hair." With a mischievous smirk on her face, she slid her eyes closed again.

After a few moments, Usagi put the final touches on her hair. "You can open your eyes now, Chibi Usa." Red eyes popped open instantly and focused on her reflection. A look of unbridled joy crossed the small girl's features briefly before a look of shock set in. "Mama, aren't these your special barrettes? The ones your mom gave you?" Usagi placed a gentle kiss on top of her daughter's head. "They are, but I think it's time that they came into your possession, now that you're older. Happy Birthday my beautiful girl."

A thundering crash followed by a cacophony of voices sounded down the main hallway, breaking the moment between mother and daughter. Chibi Usa leapt to her feet with a squeal, spinning in a tight circle. "That's them, Mama, they're here!" She ran from the room at top speed, leaving giggles in her wake. Usagi chuckled softly and shook her head, silently wishing she still possessed that kind of energy. Still shaking her head slightly, she followed the sounds of her daughter's laughter down the hallway.

"Minako, get a handle on your daughter!" Rei's voice could be heard over all the other noise in the entrance hall, sounding slightly squashed. Minako was of no help, as she was currently being held up by Kunzite, violent laughter racking her whole body. "Rei, she just missed you! After all, you are her favorite aunt, just don't tell Makoto." Makoto's face popped up from behind Kunzite's arm. "Hey! I heard that! Take that back or I'll mess up that pretty hair!" Minako let out a squeal and ran across the hall to hide behind Ami. "Help me Ami, Makoto is threatening me!" Ami let out a beleaguered sigh, and looked to Zoisite. "Nice to see things never change, right Zoi?"

"Never!" A new voice joined the din, and all fake arguments were forgotten as Usagi appeared in the doorway. Minako abandoned her hiding spot behind Ami and almost tackled Usagi to the ground. "Hey there, long time no see, huh?" Usagi returned the tight hug with fervor, having missed all her friends immensely. "It's so nice to see all of you again, thank you for making the trip out here." Rei walked up to Usagi and wrapped her arms around her. "We wouldn't miss our niece's 10th birthday, it really was no problem. Plus, Vesta has been pestering us for the last two weeks about this party. I think if we had tried to skip, that girl would have run away to come."

Usagi moved to hug Makoto and Ami, and all the men in turn, glad to feel like her family was home. "Ah, I thought I heard the dulcet tones of our precious nieces, Usagi. I see you survived the initial hello." Endymion walked into the room with a goofy smile on his face. He stood next to Usagi and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Brothers, welcome home. It's been too long!" Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite and Jadeite all hugged Endymion, making various jokes about too many women around for their liking. "I agree, shall we all go out for a drink after the party tonight? I think our lovely wives would like some alone time to catch up, too." Agreements were heard around the room, firming up plans for later that evening.

"Well, I think now that everyone's here, it's time to get this party going. Come into the dining hall, everyone!" Usagi led the way into the room, which was decorated with soft pink balloons and white and pink streamers everywhere. In the center of the massive table sat a large 5 tier cake with different shades of pink for frosting. "Well, I think it's safe to say that our niece likes pink," muttered Kunzite, earning himself a well-placed elbow in the solar plexus from Minako. With a soft grunt, he leaned towards his wife. "Save the rough play for later love, I don't want to scar the children." Minako turned to glare at her husband, ruined by the feral smile on her face. "Promise a rain check for later?" Kunzite chuckled lowly, kissing Minako on the cheek. "It's a date."

The young girls ran around the dining hall, entertaining themselves with silly games while the adults sat back and watched. "Juno, be careful not to hurt anyone! Remember your strength!" Nephrite's voice carried across the room to his daughter, who turned a shade of raspberry at the gentle reminder. "I swear, that girl has her mother's strength, I don't remember ever being that strong at age 10." Makoto lightly punched her husband's shoulder, and punched him a bit harder again when he feigned pain. "She gets her strength from both of us, and you know it. Don't play innocent around this bunch, they all know you too well." Nephrite grabbed Makoto's hand and brought it to his lips. "My wife, ever the sweetest, just like a garden rose with thorns." Makoto stuck her tongue out at him, but smiled anyway.

"Vesta has decided to pick up archery, on top of sword play. She's an excellent fencer as well, she's bested the best teacher we could find more time than he would like to admit. I don't know what to do with her." Rei shook her head. "Not to mention, she's got it in her head that she wants to be a perfect lady as well, taking etiquette lessons on top of her other lessons. Some days I wonder if she knows what she wants to be, but she keeps on top of it."

Ami laughed. "I know the feeling with the studying. I can't keep Palla out of a book long enough to take interest in anything. I can't be mad at her, I used to be the same way when I was her age." Zoisite snorted. "USED to be? Love, you're still the same. I'm convinced that she learned by example." A gentle kiss was pressed to Ami's temple. "She'll grow up to be smart, just like her mother, and it's going to be a good thing." Ami blushed slightly. "Well, maybe she'll take a liking to medicine, it's a very interesting field, if I do say so myself."

A shout from the other end of the hall broke up the conversation. "Mama! When can we have cake?!" Usagi laughed at Chibi Usa's impatience, and stood up. "I guess we can do it now, if you'd like birthday girl." Everyone gathered at the table as the candles were lit and 'Happy Birthday' was sung. Chibi Usa closed her eyes tightly, making a birthday wish with all her heart. ' _I want to grow up to be a lady just like my Mama, and I wish everyone could stay here forever!'_ Opening her eyes, she quickly blew out the candles to the sound of cheers. Cake was served on dainty white plates, and conversations started back up.

"What did you wish for Chibi Usa?" Ceres' face was littered with pink frosting and little crumbs of cake. "She can't tell you Ceres, it won't come true if she does!" Palla's eyes slanted with frustration at her friend's ignorance." Vesta shot Ceres a look, scrutinizing the mess on her face. "You should find a napkin, Ceres. Ladies don't make a mess of their faces while eating." Juno rolled her eyes at Vesta. "It's not that big of a deal, Ves. She always makes a mess, it's part of her charm." Ceres face lit up, an idea swimming behind her eyes. Lifting a hand to her face, she wiped the mess off. Without any hesitation, she leapt at Vesta, swiping her dirty hand across her face. Vesta let out a shriek, alerting the adults to trouble.

Rei and Minako walked up to the group of girls, arms crossed. "What's going on over here girls, are we playing nicely?" The look on Rei's face darkened when she saw Vesta with cake on her new gown. "Vesta, what have you been doing? You know that was a new dress!" Vesta blushed deeply, pointing at Ceres. "It was all her, mother! She made a mess of herself and then attacked me with it!" Minako slapped a hand over her mouth, fighting the urge to laugh at her daughter's actions. Rei shot Minako a piercing glare. Sighing, she turned back to Vesta. "Go get cleaned up, it's getting late anyway, so you might as well go to bed." Vesta stood with grace and turned on her heel to float out of the room.

Rei turned on Minako. "I will leave you to speak to your daughter." As soon as Rei was out of earshot, Minako high fived Ceres. "Nicely done! Was the look on her face worth it?" Letting out a giggle, Ceres nodded vigorously. "She looked like someone had slung mud on her instead of cake!" Minako laughed along with her daughter, appreciating the joke. "Probably shouldn't pull that one again though, your Aunt Rei was not very happy." Ceres let out a small groan and nodded again. "Yes, mother."

After handling the catastrophe with the children had abated, everyone decided to split off for the night. The men went into town after the children were sent to bed, and the women retired to their favorite hangout spot in the castle. The rest of the night passed in amicable company, everyone eager to catch up with their friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Lazy Days**

It had been almost a week since everyone had arrived at Central Kingdom, and the extended visit was winding down. All parties had enjoyed the break from their royal duties, but the duties were pulling at restless minds again. Ami was reclined on a bench in the garden, reading a book and enjoying the gentle rushing sounds of the fountain nearby, when her peace was interrupted by light footsteps.

"Haven't you learned by now, Zoi? There's no sneaking up on me, even when I'm reading." Ami's eyes left the page she was reading to meet the olive colored eyes of her husband. His face split into a wide smile, enjoying the sight of his beautiful wife looking so relaxed in the midday sun. "I love you, Ami." Zoisite dropped to his knees and gathered her face in his hands, placing gentle kisses on her skin. Ami laughed at her husband's actions, enjoying the attention. "So, what did you break this time, Zoisite? There has to be some reason for you coming out here to lavish attention on me."

Zoisite fell back onto his butt, a look of false horror on his face. "Oh, woe is me, I've married a wife who second guesses my motives!" Ami slid off the bench, landing on her knees in front of the man. "I love you too, Zoisite. You make my life bright, and I will never regret marrying you." Green eyes darkened for a moment, as an unwelcome memory of their wedding night came back into his mind. "I treasure those words, love. Especially given how I was towards you originally, I don't know how you ever came to love me." Ami smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Something about your charm, and the fact that you pulled your head out of your ass. I think those are good reasons to fall for you." Zoisite leapt to his feet, bending down to pick Ami up bridal style. "Let me show you more of my talents, I think you might come to appreciate more of me." Ami let out a squeal, delighting in the playful banter. "What is they say about old dogs and new tricks? Color me doubtful darling." Zoisite lowered his head to capture Ami's lips in a deep, passionate kiss. "I've always got something up my sleeve for my pretty wife. Shall we go to our chambers?" Ami's answer was another heated kiss, one that shot through Zoisite's entire body. With a low growl, he started to walk back towards the castle, Ami's laughter echoing behind them.

Makoto lay on the floor of the training room, Nephrite's form on top of her. "What is it about our sparring sessions that makes me want to shove you against a wall and have my way with you?" Makoto shot Nephrite a quick glare before quickly switching positions, her hands pinning his arms to the ground. "I don't know dearest, why did the gods deem it fit to have me marry a man who always thinks of sex? Mysteries exist for a reason." Makoto took some of the edge out of her words by leaning down and placing a kiss on her husband's chest. Nephrite groaned as Makoto dipped her hips suddenly to brush against his pelvis. "You're such a tease, Mako. What you do to me is torture."

Makoto rolled off Nephrite, landing on her back next to him, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "I'm not a tease, I just know how to get you all worked up without kicking your ass." Nephrite let out a snicker, rolling over again to pin Makoto on the floor. "Kicking my ass, huh? Last I checked, we were pretty even." Makoto shoved him off her, then got to her feet. "Whatever you need to tell yourself so you can sleep at night, husband. We all know that I can take you down any day of the week." Nephrite stood up next to Makoto, maintaining eye contact for a few seconds, before scooping her up and throwing Makoto's body over his shoulder.

"Let's have a stamina contest then, shall we? I bet you I can win." Makoto let out a small shriek as Nephrite bit at her thigh. "What do I get if I win?" Nephrite paused for a moment to think. "How about we work out the details when a winner has been chosen. Agreeable to you, wife?" The only response he got was a small grumble. "That's what I thought, be prepared to lose!" Nephrite slapped Makoto's butt before taking off at a sprint, anxious to get the competition started.

Rei's breath was coming in ragged gasps, as Jadeite moved his tongue further down her torso. "Troubles breathing, Rei?" A breathy scoff was heard, before a leg moved to wrap around him. "No, I'm perfectly fine, just don't stop what you're doing." Jadeite smiled before resuming his tracing of Rei's hip bones using his tongue. Placing gentle kisses as he went, he traced to her inner thigh, where he let his breath tease the soft mound between Rei's legs. Hips squirmed and bucked, the air teasing more than anything.

"Are you going to stare all day, or are you going to actually do something?" Lust strangled Rei's voice, making it sound strained and small. Smiling, Jadeite parted her outer lips and blew another stream of air, enjoying the choked moans and random babbling that left her mouth. With no further hesitation, he traced her wet slit with his tongue, making her hips buck more wildly. "Can you sit still enough for me to do something, or am I going to have to tie you down?" Rei growled, impatient for her taste of pleasure. "As much as I love you to tie me down, I need you inside me." Rei sat up suddenly, grasping Jadeite's face in her hands. "Now."

Jadeite pushed her back on the bed and slid his way up her body, capturing her lips in a forceful kiss. Without any warning, he plunged hard into her heat, smirking slightly at her muffled scream. "Enjoying yourself, Rei?" Glimmering amethyst orbs opened, a wild lust sparkling in their depths. "Shut up and fuck me."

Jadeite started moving at a frantic pace, slamming hard against her body, eliciting wild cries from his wife's mouth. They both moved in a crazy synergy, a thing accomplished by many years of practice. Jadeite left Rei's abused mouth and moved down to her luscious breasts, taking turns teasing both nipples with his mouth, licking and nipping at her nipples until they stood stiff. "I'm going to come soon," Rei's breathy warning stirring something deep inside him, making him withdraw long enough to flip her over onto her knees.

"I'm going to fuck you until you scream my name, are you ready?" Rei let out a small groan, and a small acquiescence. Jadeite slid himself inside her again, grunting as her tight walls gripped him tight. Wrapping his hands tightly around her hips, he picked back up the frantic pace from before. Rei let out a small cry as she felt the heat gathering in her abdomen again. Her cry turned into a scream when he found her g spot and pushed against it harder, sending jolts through her whole body. "Yes, right there, keep hitting that spot, Jadeite please." Her rambling became more desperate as he continued to press against her, hitting it repeatedly. Rei's body let out a violent convulsion, and her walls tightened almost painfully around him as she came. Jadeite groaned as a powerful orgasm overtook him, his hips snapping one more time against Rei. Falling on the bed next to Rei, he kissed her face softly. "I love you." Rei turned her head to look at him, before shifting her body to lean her head on his chest. "I love you, too." Both Rei and Jadeite fell into a satisfied sleep, not worrying about anything else in the world at that moment.

Kunzite and Minako lay in bed together, enjoying the peace and quiet of the afternoon. Minako propped herself up on an elbow, scrutinizing her husband's prone form. Kunzite raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on in her brain. "See something you like?" His only answer was a tongue stuck out at him. A golden head flopped onto his chest with a sigh. "I always see something I like when I look at you, because you're a sexy man beast." Minako prodded Kunzite in the ribs. "Ow, you compliment me then abuse me. Whatever am I to do with such a rabid little wife?" A vibrant smile was flashed at him before she snuggled closer.

"You know you love my rabid self. You really loved it last night when I rode you. I think I still have bruises on my hips from where you were grabbing onto me." Kunzite snorted, wrapping his arm around her tightly. "We both know you like the bruises. It's a mark of possession and you get off from that almost as much as you do from sex. My kinky Minako." He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, enjoying the soft scent of her soap. "If you don't like it, I can be a meek housewife and just lay there, taking whatever you give to me."

Kunzite dug his fingers into her ribs, tickling her mercilessly. Minako shrieked and tried to roll away, only to find herself trapped. "Kunz, get off me! I was only joking!" He let up on the torture, only to pull her on top of him, straddling his hips. "God, you're so beautiful. It's like sunshine everyday with you." Minako grimaced. "Yes, I'm sure you think that when I'm being annoying, or making you crazy with my actions." Kunzite pulled her down so their lips could meet. "It is true that you annoy the piss out of me woman, but at the end of the day, you'll always be mine." A shiver ran through Minako's body at the words, causing her hips to subconsciously grind against Kunzite's pelvis.

"I would love to pleasure you some more, Minako, but dinner is in 10 minutes and even though we're talented, we're not that talented." She pouted at him, then sighed. "You're right. I suppose I better go figure out where our daughter ended up at. I swear, she's so difficult to track down in this place. I wonder if Chibi Usa taught her hiding places." Climbing out of bed, she picked up a dress and slid it on. "Give me a second and I'll go with you. She's half mine, you know." Minako stuck her tongue out again. "I don't know about that, most days that girl reminds me so much of myself." Kunzite pulled Minako tightly against his chest, hugging her. "I can't disagree with that. Let's go find Ceres and go to dinner. I'm sure that everyone will be waiting on us by the time we discover where she got off to."

 _A/N: Welcome back to the world of Kaze Kingdom. I originally wasn't planning on a sequel, but the requests were so overwhelming, I decided to go ahead and do it. This will be the last chapter this week, I'll be going back to weekly chapter postings, probably on Wednesdays. I sincerely hope that you all enjoy this fiction, it's something that has come to be near and dear to my heart. Thank you for the reviews for Chapter 1, it made me feel like I was doing the right thing for this story! Okay, I'm off my podium now, I'll see you all next chapter! ~Phoenix~_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Dinner that night was a wild affair, with everyone enjoying the last night together. Chibi Usa and her friends ran all around the hall, playing tag and various other games while giggling without restraint. The Kings and Queens watched their children play with delight, each enjoying the crazy antics. Too soon, it was time for the princesses to go to bed for the evening, a declaration met with groans. "Just one more hour, mom? We're having so much fun!" Ceres pouted at Minako, hoping to convince her to concede.

"Nice try Ceres, but we have to leave early in the morning." Kunzite saved his wife from the deathly pout of his daughter. "Actually, we need to discuss that. Is it alright if the girls go play in Chibi Usa's room?" Endymion kept his tone light for the children, but Kunzite could sense the tenseness underlying. "Sure, that would be fine. Girls, we'll come get you when it's time for bed." Ceres tackled Kunzite, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, daddy, I love you!" With a forceful kiss on the cheek, she was off like a blur, the others dragging up the rear.

Once the last girl left the hall and the heavy doors were shut, Jadeite turned to Endymion. "What's wrong?" Endymion sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We got a report out of the Wildlands today, south of the Wall." Rei stiffened in her chair. "The Wildlands? I didn't think we had any dealings with those savages." Jadeite put a hand on Rei's shoulder. "Usually we don't, because all that lives out there is a few nomad tribes that have no interest in being a part of our Kingdom. However, there's a new group out there and they have sent a message."

"What did they say?" Minako ceased her pacing to stand next to Kunzite. "It was a threat. They said that they would kidnap our children to make us pay for our sins." Makoto scoffed. "What sins? We haven't done anything to them." Ami cleared her throat softly, drawing everyone's eyes to her. "Actually, _we_ haven't, but the old Kings and Queens did. I don't know exactly what group this is, but I do remember reading a book in the Western Kingdom." Usagi leaned forward, hanging on to Ami's every word. "Well, what happened?"

"This was about 20 years ago, a group living in Central Kingdom started wreaking havoc. Commiting all sorts of crimes, from robbery to murder. The Emperor at the time, Endou, gathered up everyone associated with that group and banished them to the Wildlands. If I remember my reading correctly, they called themselves the Osawagi Group. Am I correct, Endy?" Endymion nodded his head sharply. "You are, Ami. Due to this threat, I wanted to speak to all of you about our next move. I personally would prefer you all stay here to ensure your safety, but I understand that may not be feasible."

Nephrite shot to his feet. "Do you think we cannot take care of ourselves? Surely you know better Endy, and it would make more tactical sense to spread ourselves out, we're sitting ducks here." Jadeite cleared his throat. "I understand your thought process, brother, but it might actually be smarter to stay here. Central Kingdom is heavily guarded, and with all of us here, there's more people to protect the girls." Zoisite moved to stand next to Jadeite. "I have to agree with Jadeite. It makes more sense to stay here. Who's to say that they aren't waiting to ambush us on the way home? We're even more vulnerable while traveling."

Kunzite sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I see both sides, but I also feel like we'd be more secure here. At least until we can ascertain how serious this threat is." Nephrite huffed, not happy at being outnumbered. "What about you wife, what do you think?" Makoto looped her arm through Nephrite's, putting a gentle pressure on him. "I think our brothers are right, Nephrite. It's too risky traveling right now. I would never forgive myself if something happened to Juno." Ami, Rei and Minako all murmured in agreement. "I guess it's settled then. We'll reconvene in the morning to talk strategy, until then, let's get our girls to bed."

Outside the door, brilliant pink eyes flashed in the dim light as the girl turned and ran down the hallway. Upon reaching Chibi Usa's room, Ceres threw the doors open. "Guys, I just overheard a conversation!" Vesta glared at Ceres, disapproval written all over her features. "Ceres, it's rude to eavesdrop!" Ceres shook her head, ignoring Vesta. "They're coming now to tell us it's time for bed, so there's not a lot of time. Let's all meet back here in 30 minutes, the adults will all be distracted or sleeping at that point." Everyone agreed, and the doors opened. "Time for bed, girls!" Usagi stood in the doorway, analyzing the looks on their faces. "What have you been up to? There's mischief on those faces."

Chibi Usa shook her head. "Nothing, mama, just talking about boys." Usagi rolled her eyes, a smile spreading on her face. "Aren't you all a little young for boys? No matter, go find your parents, they need to speak to all of you." As the other four girls filtered from the room, Usagi sat on the bed next to her daughter. "Your aunts and uncles have decided to extend their vacation here, so you'll have more time to spend with your friends." Chibi Usa's eyes lit up. "Really, Mama?! That's so exciting!"

Usagi hugged her daughter tight to her, gently breathing in the soft scent of her shampoo. "Yes, they are. Now, it's time for you to get some sleep so you can have more fun tomorrow." Usagi squeezed Chibi Usa tight one more time. "I love you, Chibi Usa." Her daughter looked up in confusion. "Is everything alright, Mama? You're crying." Usagi quickly wiped the tears gathering in her eyes. "It's nothing, just thinking of how fast you've grown up, it seems like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms and rocking you to sleep every night." Chibi Usa stuck her tongue out. "Well, I have to grow up some time Mama. I can't be a kid forever." Usagi kissed Chibi Usa's forehead. "You're absolutely right. I'll leave you to go to sleep my precious. I'll see you in the morning."

After the lights were turned off and the door was shut, Chibi Usa layed in bed waiting for her friends to come back in. _I wonder what Ceres has to tell us, she seemed a little frantic._ As if telepathically summoned, the door opened, spilling Ceres and the others in. "Sorry, I got caught up with my mom. I guess we're staying longer." Ceres flopped on the bed next to Chibi Usa. "You don't sound excited about it Ceres, I figured you'd be bouncing off the walls." Palla sat on the foot of the bed, leaving room for Vesta and Juno to join them.

"I would be more excited if I hadn't heard what they were talking about in the dining hall." Vesta scoffed. "Enough with the theatrics, what did you hear?!" Ceres sat up suddenly and wrapped her arms around herself. "Someone wants to kidnap us. They want to kidnap us to punish our parents."

 _A/N: Cliffhanger time again! This chapter is late, I know, but it's been a bit of a wild week. New chapter will be up next week, so as always, read, rate and review! Thank you all again for following me down this crazy rabbit hole, I promise the ride is worth the wait! See you guys next week_

 _~Phoenix~_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the long break between chapters! I got super sick then the holidays happened, but I hope this chapter makes it up to you all! To Onyx2589, thank you so much for your lovely reviews, they made me smile and your fangirl squeals could be heard through the computer! Anyway, enough from me, here's the new chapter, as always, please rate and review!**

 **~Phoenix~**

 **Chapter 4: Walls Come Tumbling Down**

Four sets of eyes stared incredulously Ceres, processing the words that seemed to hang in the air. Juno laughed loudly, startling everyone. "You're kidding, Ceres. This is just another one of your silly games that you like to play to scare ChibiUsa." Ceres pouted, upset that she wasn't being taken seriously. "No, this isn't a joke, Juno. I heard your dad yelling at Uncle Mamoru over it. That's why they sent us out of the hall."

Vesta snorted, "Yes, and you just _happened_ to be in the right place at the right time. C'mon Ceres, enough, you're going to keep ChibiUsa up all night." ChibiUsa nudged Vesta with her foot. "Hey, I'm not a little kid anymore, Vesta. I don't get scared anymore, I'm a big kid like the rest of you now!" Vesta rolled her eyes. "You're right ChibiUsa, but still, I wouldn't put it past Ceres to try to scare you with some outlandish story." Ceres launched across the bed at Vesta, but was stopped by an arm around the midsection.

"Do you guys want to wake up the whole castle? We'll get in trouble if we're found in here!" Juno pulled Ceres back to a sitting position and looked at Palla. "You've been awful quiet over there Palla, what do you think of this?" Palla looked at Juno and blinked, the wheels in her head still turning. "Well, we don't have proof of the truth, the only thing that's changed since the alleged conversation is that we're staying here for a while longer, which could be considered suspicious." Juno nodded thoughtfully, reflecting on Palla's conclusion.

"Well, we don't know anything for sure, so we should just keep living like normal. No need to get paranoid over something that could be nothing." Vesta acknowledged Juno's statement with a nod. "If everything is settled, then we all should get back to bed. We'll have more time to figure this all out tomorrow. Good night, everyone." The girls shuffled out one at time, checking to make sure the corridor was clear before leaving. ChibiUsa cocooned herself into her blankets, tossing around a bit to get comfortable before passing out from exhaustion.

Vesta's room was the closest to ChibiUsa's, so she bid the others good bye quietly and slipped into her room. The room was oddly warm and still, making her skin prickle. She noticed that the heavy curtain had been pulled over her window, blocking the cool breeze of the night. _That's odd, I know I left that open when I left. Maybe I didn't and just forgot, my brain is overloaded._ Walking across her room to the window, she threw the curtain to the side and tied it off. Vesta stared out the window for a moment, enjoying the wind on her face and the lights from the nearby village. A sudden movement across the lawn caught her eye. Ceres had her room directly on the other side of the castle from Vesta, so seeing movement wasn't unusual, since Ceres was fond of making shadow puppets with her candle when she couldn't sleep.

Smiling slightly, Vesta leaned forward a little more to see if she could make out any shapes Ceres was making. The smile slid from her face when she realized that Ceres wasn't alone. A man was behind her, and Ceres was oblivious to it. The man snatched Ceres off the ground, avoiding her flailing feet. Vesta gasped and turned to alert the castle of what was going on when a hand closed around her throat. "Don't make a move Princess, I'd hate to have to kill you." A woman moved more out of the shadows, the moonlight catching her features. She had blonde hair and strange green eyes, someone Vesta had never seen before. "Who are you and why are you in my room?" The woman let out a short laugh, tightening her grip slightly.

"Well, aren't we just curious? You know, they say that curiosity killed the cat. So, are you a cat or a princess?" Vesta tried to shift, loosening the grip on her neck. The odd woman moved with her, tightening even more, and Vesta could barely breathe. "Tsk, tsk, little bird. I wouldn't fight if I were you, I have orders not to kill you, but accidents happen all the time. You're coming with me, and you're going to do it quietly so no one you love dies. Understand?" Vesta weakly nodded, and let out a gasp of air when the tight hold was removed.

"Help!" Vesta screamed, hoping that someone was near enough to hear her. She was rewarded with a fist to the gut, taking away any air she had left. "Dammit, I told you to be quiet! Well, Hawk's Eye isn't going to like this, it was supposed to be a clean job." Vesta was on the ground, struggling for breath and choking on her tears. "Cat's Eye! What is going on in here!" A whisper came from the doorway, sounding angry and rushed. "Sorry, Tiger's Eye, this one thought she would be brave. Tell Fish Eye I'll be right there!" Vesta had made it to her knees when a boot came out of nowhere and caught her in the side of the head, making her vision go black.

"That's a good little princess, nice and easy. You almost ruined everything for us, you know. Luckily someone has a great need for you." Cat's Eye picked up Vesta's limp body and ran swiftly from the room, making no sound as she went. Hawk's Eye was waiting for her at the end of the hall, a green hair girl tied up and slung over his shoulder. "About time, Cat! What the hell took so long?!" Cat's Eye rolled her eyes, not in the mood to explain herself. "This one had some extra fight, that's all. We've got to go, I'll tell you more back at camp. With a nod from Hawk's Eye, both turned and snuck out through a secret passage in the kitchen, where no one would see them.

ChibiUsa woke up to the sounds of shouting in the corridor outside her room. Shaking off her sleep, she tried to make out what was going on. It sounded like her father and Uncle Zoisite were arguing, but she wasn't quite sure. The voices got louder as they neared her room, confirming her original suspicions. "Dammit Endy, I want my daughter found! You said they would be safer here, but less than 12 hours later, all of them are gone! What do you have to say about it?" Her father was further down the hall, so she didn't hear his reply, but her door opened suddenly, making her flinch. Her mother appeared in the doorway, her eyes red and swollen.

"Mama, what's going on? I heard Uncle Zoisite yelling at Daddy." Usagi sat on the edge of the bed, taking ChibiUsa's hands in hers. "ChibiUsa, something happened last night. Bad people somehow got into the palace and took your friends." ChibiUsa snatched her hands back and leapt out of bed. "What?! Mama, Ceres tried to warn us! She said that people were going to kidnap us to punish everyone!" She fell to the floor, tears streaming down her face. "Mama, why didn't they take me? Why did they take Ceres, Vesta, Palla and Juno?"

Usagi sat on the floor next to her daughter, gathering her tightly into her arms. "I don't know, sweetheart, but don't worry, _no one_ is going to take you away from us. I promise we'll keep you safe." ChibiUsa shook her head, trying to make sense of the world. "I know you'll keep me safe Mama, I'm not worried about me. What about my friends? Are we going to bring them back?" Usagi kissed ChibiUsa on the top of her head, and rested her cheek on the silken strands. "Yes, ChibiUsa, we're going to get them back, Daddy and I will make sure of it."

Usagi left ChibiUsa's room after she requested some time to think. As she headed towards the meeting hall, raised voices met her ears. It sounded like the men shouting along with the women, and poor Endymion on the receiving end. Usagi pushed the doors open, and saw a war zone inside. Rei was pacing the hall wildly, while Minako matched her steps. Makoto was sitting next to Ami, gently comforting her while her face looked fierce and angry. The men were all standing around Endymion, each looking angrier than the one in the middle.

"Well, what's the plan, Endymion? We have to get the girls back, no matter what it takes!" Kunzite's face was strained, eyes wetly shining. "Given the information we already have, I doubt there's going to be a ransom to be paid. They don't want money, they want revenge. Our best bet is to send search parties, but getting into the Wildlands is going to be a mess, they want nothing to do with us." Nephrite stepped forward, a determined look on his face. "So, we formulate a plan for us to go get them. Our daughters are in danger, and we need to get them, but it will do us no good to take off with no plan."

Jadeite put a hand on Nephrite's shoulder. "He's right, we need to plan. Everyone needs to calm down, we can't plan while we're at each other's throats. ChibiUsa is secure, right?" Usagi stepped up next to Endymion, sliding her hand into his. "Yes, she is secure, no one is getting her." Jadeite bowed his head slightly, acknowledging her presence. "Excellent, then let's get to brainstorming. The more time we waste, the harder it will be to find them, and no one wants that, correct?" Begrudgingly, everyone gathered at the table where Endymion had a map spread out. "Alright, here's the border, and here's where we are. What's the best course of action?" Zoisite pointed to different points on the map, judging travel time, and a conversation was started. Everyone gathered in closer, different ideas flowing together to make a solid plan. After a while, Endymion stood up, massaging his neck. "Alright, we have our plan!"


	5. I'm Back!

Hello everyone!

I appreciate the patience with this story, my life has changed drastically since I started this and I didn't have time to write as much. However, this story is far from over. I'm going to be updating at least once a week to get this story back on track, because it wouldn't be right to leave you all hanging where we are. Again, I really appreciate the patience, and I hope you all come back to finish this sequel. So bear with me, buckle in, and let's get this show on the road!


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